The New Companion
by maghaseology
Summary: The Doctor is stuck in London because the TARDIS refuses to move. Who he meets and what happens next is something he never expected to experience ever again.


The TARDIS wouldn't move; she just refused to move. No amount of button pushing, dial turning or lever pulling would change her mind. They had landed in modern day London over four months ago. The Doctor had tried every combination and had crawled over every inch of his TARDIS trying to find the problem. Only there that was the problem – there was none. Nothing was broken. Nothing was missing. Everything worked fine, but the TARDIS just wouldn't move and The Doctor had no answer.

After two weeks, Clara had begun to go out and explore the city. She said she enjoyed the fresh air and rediscovering everything about her old home. Then, after two months of her adventures, Clara came back with news.

"Doctor, I'm leaving."

"You just got back from your day out. What do you mean you're leaving?"

"You, I mean I'm leaving you." She paused as The Doctor stared at her. Clara sighed, reluctant to share her reasons. "I've met someone. His name is Chris and, well, I've fallen in love. Real love, with someone who loves me back, who can love me back. I'm going to move in with him. We're going to start a family together."

"So you're just leaving me? Just like that?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes," Clara whispered. When The Doctor didn't say anything else, she went and collected her things and left him where he stood.

That was more than a month ago. The Doctor had spent every day since then alone, trying desperately to persuade the TARDIS to move, even just the tiniest bit. Now, feeling defeated, he found himself staring at her control panel helplessly. There was nothing he could do, nothing he wanted to do anymore. So he left. The Doctor walked out the door and just walked.

"I've met someone new, Becca, and I love her. I'm afraid you're going to have to move out."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"What." Becca said, a little louder and a little more aggressively, nuances that Chris didn't pick up on.

"You'll have to leave. Look, I got you boxes and everything." As if that helped the situation.

"But I'm your fiancé!"

"Yeah, not any more. I'm going to need that ring back." Becca looked at her left hand, at the diamond ring that rested there. Slowly she pulled it off her finger and held it up looking at Chris through it. Then she threw it at him.

"You get out!" She hissed. "This is my apartment! You can't kick me out of my own apartment!" She grabbed the closest item that belonged to Chris and threw it at him. The next item she threw landed in a box and shattered.

"Stop throwing my things!" Chris screamed.

"I'll throw what I like in my own home, you bloody bastard!" Becca screamed louder. "Four years of my life and a ring and what do I get? You're trying to kick me out of my own apartment!"

"Fine then," Chris yelled. "I'm leaving! But I'll be back tomorrow for my stuff!"

"Let's see if you can beat the trash collectors because your SHIT will be at the curb!" Becca yelled as Chris stomped across the floor and slammed the door so hard that the windows rattled.

Becca stared at the closed door for a moment, feeling herself breathing hard and then she sank to the floor in tears. She cried because she had done it again - she had allowed herself to fall in love and in the end all it got her was a broken heart.

Soon she felt a cold nose nudging her hands followed by licking kisses.

"Oh, Malcolm," Becca sighed, pulling the small grey and white Australian Shepherd into her lap. "I'm sorry baby boy. I didn't mean to scare you." Malcolm nuzzled into Becca's chest affectionately. "Come on," she put him back onto the floor. "Let's go play at the park." As Becca stood and grabbed her jacket, Malcolm bounded around her feet with excitement. She pulled on her brown corduroy jacket, cleared her long auburn hair from beneath and they headed out the door with Malcolm's tennis ball in her hands.

"You were right, Malcolm, as always. Some time out of the house is exactly what we need." She smiled down at her well-behaved pup and then gave the tennis ball a hard throw watching Malcolm's joy as he bounded after it.

Rebecca Macy was 32 years old, with auburn hair and hazel eyes, a little on the short side and an American in London. It had all started as a six-month trip through Europe seven years ago. She had been to Spain and France and Italy (where she acquired Malcolm), but when she got to London four and a half years ago, she stayed. There was no real reason as to why she stayed except that she just didn't have any motivation to go anywhere else. She and Malcolm found a job and an apartment and even a boyfriend.

But despite the boyfriend, and various friends Becca had made, there was only one thing that stayed constant – Malcolm. Becca had found him in Tuscany - the last Australian Shepherd puppy of a large litter on a farm with no sheep. The farmer was about to throw him out into the woods the same day Becca happened to hike through. She had fallen in love with the small mass of grey and white fur at first sight and they had been companions ever since. No matter where she went, Malcolm was by her side.

Malcolm returned with the tennis ball, pushing it into Becca's hand, so she threw it again, smiling as he ran after it, knowing this could go on all day.

Four months ago, Becca had felt her entire life shift. She had seen the turn in her relationship with Chris, but instead of doing something about it, Becca has just let it unfold. It seemed like the thing to do at the time, but that didn't make it hurt any less. And now, with the exception of Malcolm, Becca was all alone.

Malcolm came running back to her and Becca dropped to one knee.

"What do you say, Malcolm? Is it time to go home? Is it time to cross the sea with our tails between our legs?" Becca pictured the 'I-told-you-so' look that her family would give upon seeing her and quickly discarded the thought. "One more throw, then dinner time." Becca threw the ball as hard as she could and watched Malcolm run past an older gentleman in a mid-length blue jacket.

A block away from where the TARDIS sat was a park. It was there that The Doctor wandered. There were few people around – a couple walking with a stroller, teenagers eat ice cream and a young woman playing with a dog. The Doctor only glanced at them to assess their danger risk and then dropped back into his own thoughts.

There was no explanation for it. There was nothing wrong with the TARDIS. It was as if she just decided that this was where she liked to be, or that she was waiting for something. But what on earth could she be waiting for? He stared up at the sky pondering this question as the dog ran past him.

"Malcolm!" The call made The Doctor spin around to see where it came from and locked eyes with the young, red-headed woman.

Becca must have started the gentleman in the coat, judging by the way he whipped around. Then she locked eyes with the man and saw his loneliness and sadness, no – more like despair – and she felt his pain because it was the same as hers. The two stared at each other until Malcolm's bark broke their spell. Becca took the ball from him with a scratch to his head.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." Becca began walking across the park towards home and right past the man. He was older, maybe in his fifties, with grey and black hair. It was his vibrant green eyes that depicted his emotions and a soul much older than he looked. As she walked past, Becca noted his height and the two locked gazes again. It wasn't until she was past him that Becca was able to look away. When she glanced back at the edge of the park, the man was gone.


End file.
